Systems and methods of providing communications services
An IP telephony system allows a user to register a telephony device that receives its native telephony service from a different telephony service provider as an extension telephone. The user can then place calls through the IP telephony system using the extension telephone. Such calls may or may not be established using the extension telephone's native telephony service provider.
1. A method of bridging an ongoing telephony communication that has already been established between first and second parties by a first telephony service provider to a first telephony device used by a third party that receives its native telephony service from a second telephony service provider, comprising:
receiving, at the first telephony service provider, a request from the first telephony device indicating that the first telephony device is to be connected to the ongoing telephony communication that has been established by the first telephony service provider between the first and second parties, where the second party is using a second telephony device that is registered under the same account with the first telephony service provider as the first telephony device; and
bridging the first telephony device into the ongoing telephony communication so that the third party using the first telephony device can communicate with the first and second parties.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving step comprises receiving the request from the first telephony device over a data network.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein bridging the first telephony device into the ongoing communication comprises establishing a voice over Internet protocol telephony communication between the first telephony device and the first telephony service provider over a data network.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein bridging the first telephony device into the ongoing communication comprises establishing a voice over Internet protocol telephony communication between the first telephony device and the first telephony service provider over a cellular-based data connection provided by the second telephony service provider.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein bridging the first telephony device into the ongoing communication comprises establishing a telephony communication between the first telephony device and the first telephony service provider over a cellular-based telephony connection provided by the second telephony service provider.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein establishing a telephony communication between the first telephony device and the first telephony service provider comprises:
instructing the first telephony device to place a telephone call to an access telephone number maintained by the first telephony service provider via the second telephony service provider; and
receiving an incoming telephone call from the first telephony device on the access telephone number.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein establishing a telephony communication between the first telephony device and the first telephony service provider comprises placing a telephone call to a native telephone number of the first telephony device, the call being connected to the first telephony device by the second telephony service provider.
8. A system for bridging an ongoing telephony communication that has already been established between first and second parties by a first telephony service provider to a first telephony device used by a third party and that receives its native telephony service from a second telephony service provider, comprising:
means for receiving, at the first telephony service provider, a request from the first telephony device indicating that the first telephony device is to be connected to the ongoing telephony communication that has been established by the first telephony service provider between the first and second parties, where the second party is using a second telephony device that is registered under the same account with the first telephony service provider as the first telephony device; and
means for bridging the first telephony device into the ongoing telephony communication so that the third party using the first telephony device can communicate with the first and second parties.
9. A system for bridging an ongoing telephony communication that has already been established between first and second parties by a first telephony service provider to a first telephony device used by a third party and that receives its native telephony service from a second telephony service provider, comprising:
an extensions connection unit that is a part of the first telephony service provider, the extensions connection unit receiving a request from the first telephony device indicating that the first telephony device is to be connected to the ongoing telephony communication that has been established by the first telephony service provider between the first and second parties, where the second party is using a second telephony device that is registered under the same account with the first telephony service provider as the first telephony device, and wherein the extensions connection unit is configured to bridge the first telephony device into the ongoing telephony communication so that the third party using the first telephony device can communicate with the first and second parties.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the extensions connection unit receives the request from the first telephony device over a data network.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the extensions connection unit bridges the first telephony device into the ongoing communication by establishing a voice over Internet protocol telephony communication between the first telephony device and the first telephony service provider over a data network.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the extensions connection unit bridges the first telephony device into the ongoing communication by establishing a voice over Internet protocol telephony communication between the first telephony device and the first telephony service provider over a cellular-based data connection provided by the second telephony service provider.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the extensions connection unit bridges the first telephony device into the ongoing communication by establishing a telephony communication between the first telephony device and the first telephony service provider over a cellular-based telephony connection provided by the second telephony service provider.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the extensions connection unit establishes a telephony communication between the first telephony device and the first telephony service provider by:
instructing the first telephony device to place a telephone call to an access telephone number maintained by the first telephony service provider via the second telephony service provider; and
receiving an incoming telephone call from the first telephony device on the access telephone number.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the extensions connection unit establishes a telephony communication between the first telephony device and the first telephony service provider by placing a telephone call to a native telephone number of the first telephony device, the call being connected to the first telephony device by the second telephony service provider.
16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors of a telephony device, cause the telephony device to perform a method of bridging the telephony device into an ongoing telephony communication that has already been established between first and second parties by a first telephony service provider, wherein the telephony device is used by a third party and receives its native telephony service from a second telephony service provider, the method comprising:
sending a request to join an ongoing telephony communication that has been established between the first and second parties by the first telephony service provider, the request being sent to the first telephony service provider over a data network; and
establishing a telephony communication between the telephony device and the first telephony service provider so that the first telephony service provider can bridge the telephony device into the ongoing telephony communication so that the third party using the telephony device can communicate with the first and second parties;
wherein the second party is using a second telephony device that is registered under the same account with the first telephony service provider as the telephony device from which the request is sent.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein establishing a telephony communication between the telephony device and the first telephony service provider comprises establishing a voice over Internet protocol telephony communication between the telephony device and the first telephony service provider over the data network.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein establishing a telephony communication between the telephony device and the first telephony service provider comprises establishing a voice over Internet protocol telephony communication between the telephony device and the first telephony service provider over a cellular-based data connection provided by the second telephony service provider.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein establishing a telephony communication between the telephony device and the first telephony service provider comprises establishing a telephony communication between the telephony device and the first telephony service provider over a cellular-based telephony connection provided by the second telephony service provider.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein establishing a telephony communication between the telephony device and the first telephony service provider comprises calling, via the second telephony service provider, an access telephone number maintained by the first telephony service provider.
21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein establishing a telephony communication between the telephony device and the first telephony service provider comprises receiving a call from the first telephony service provider, the call being connected to the telephony device via the second telephony service provider.